The Highlander's Enchantress had what seemed to be the makings of an intriguing highlander romance, but ultimately fell a bit short overall. This is the first book in this series from Violetta Rand and it is also the first book I have read by this author. Rand's writing overall is okay, I just did not fully connect with it in a way that made me want to devour this novel or have a strong connection to the story and characters. Overall the read is a quick one, it has enjoyable moments, but is ultimately lacking in development and depth that would have made this a more memorable read. I am not opposed to checking out more works by Violetta Rand, but also not eagerly awaiting the continuation of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free book in exchange for a review.


I really liked reading this book, I loved how the beginning of the story made me want to keep reading. I loved reading both POVs and I wanted to keep reading even though I had things to do. (Writing this review is harder because college just started up and I have almost no thoughts that are in my head or else this review would be a lot smoother and easier to understand.).

According to her cruel, manipulative father, Kali Bane embodies all the worst traits a woman can possess. She would’ve fled him long ago if it weren’t for her concern for the safety of her beloved younger sisters. The choice is taken from her when her refusal to marry an English lord sees her father banish her to the McKay clan in the Highlands, accusing her of witchcraft.

She’s no more welcome among the McKays where the aging laird truly believes Kali to be an enchantress and locks her away from the sight of most of the clan, apart from Adam, the laird’s son and heir. His kindness makes her long to trust him and it’s almost enough to have her forgetting about escaping back to her sisters.

No one will protect Kali’s sisters if she doesn’t, but the longer she remains among the McKays, the more Kali and Adam see broader manipulations beyond just her father. They’re pawns in a greater scheme that could destroy those around them to satisfy the greed of their fathers if they don’t do something to stop it and protect the fragile love growing between them.

This story had such potential, but it just didn’t really work for me, and you do risk spoilers from here as I get my thoughts out. My biggest struggle here was how undeveloped the plot felt. Everything either felt rushed or didn’t add up or make good sense. For instance, the heroine lamented how she’d had to move from the Highlands where she was born to the lowlands when her father’s lands were confiscated. But then she mentions sneaking around the streets of Aberdeen to get what her sisters needed. Since Aberdeen is situated firmly in the Highlands, I found this very confusing, and I never really figured out exactly what sort of land and political situation was going on here or why she kept speaking of living in the lowlands.

I really never warmed to either of our MCs and struggled to really root for them as a couple. Adam came off as a weak little horn dog. He was a total hypocrite given his shabby treatment of Kali when they first met. Even after he confessed his feelings for her, he went on to treat her poorly and his reasoning behind such behavior was flimsy and immature at best. He just seemed utterly spineless to me, and he should’ve stood up to his father earlier, maybe before people started losing limbs to his deteriorating mental state. Furthermore, Adam’s obsession with Kali’s innocence and purity was extremely creepy given his apparent penchant for sleeping around. He also refused to make Kali any promises, even when what she was asking of him really wasn’t about her, yet he had the nerve to demand promises from her. In fact, the only male character with any shred of decency in this entire book was Adam's friend, Sam. I could possibly get behind a book for him but the rest of the men in this book seemed to want nothing more than to abuse women and the hero wasn't much better, though we were supposed to believe he was.

For her part, I did get sick of Kali’s syrupy sweetness. She would start to put Adam in his place when he deserved it, only to somehow wind up smiling at him, leaving me utterly dumbfounded. Much of the conversational flow was choppy and the dialogue often didn’t make much sense. Neither Kali nor Adam seemed to be fully fleshed out characters. He was utterly spineless, and I couldn’t find much to like about him. She was reduced to her beauty and willingness to martyr herself because of it in order to save her sisters. Then he had the nerve to blame her for his feelings for her because he perceived them as weakness. He just came off as a brute and we’re somehow supposed to believe he’s noble and good-hearted. I didn’t buy it. He had the power to fix things and took entirely too long to do so, preferring instead to bluster and not live up to his word. I just found the whole thing tiresome and lacking in continuity, with Adam’s behavior making no sense and neither of the MCs being characters I could root for. It also didn’t help that the plot felt slapdash, and the ending was incredibly rushed, leaving me feeling rather unsatisfied, but also unbothered given how little I cared for these characters.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was new author for my and I really enjoyed this quick romance! I thought the plot and characters were good! Kali and Adam deserved their HEA for sure! It took a lot for them to get there! Kali is strong willed, loving, and outspoken. Adam is next in line to be a laird. He’s kind and hard working. These two meet when Kali’s father send her to Adam’s clan, bc her father wants her punished for not obeying by marrying someone she doesn’t want too. Her father says she’s a witch, which of course she isn’t. But Adam sees her for who she truely is! They have several things to overcome to get to their forever, but they do it! I def recommend this one if you love a quick highlander read!

Kali is protecting her family while going against her father's wishes . Ending up with the McKays, she finds a future with Adam . Scottish romance always a good read.

Kali is the only one who can protect her sisters from her father -who doesn't care about his daughters - he has the plan to marry Kali off to an evil man for his gain, and to gain her, a corporation he has shipped her away to isolate her from her sisters and have her bend to his will.

Adam is the oldest and is aware of how bad his father is, but when he is willing to mistreat Kali and play like a witch when he knows she isn't, and this is a ploy for her father -he has to do something.

The fact that he is attracted to Kali's will and beauty has nothing to do with it.

This book is an excellent historical romance that pulls you into the main characters' stories, and you want them to succeed and find love.

It's a good read between more oversized books because this one isn't super long, but it's a good one.

I couldn't get into this one. It felt a little cheesy and silly. I wasn't invested in the characters or story.
DNF

Cute, short read and one of the firsts for historical Scottish romances for me. I liked it but it wasn't anything special as well.

This one seemed underdeveloped to me. The first 50% was about Kali and Adam just talking about their feelings. Not much plot movement at all and not enough side character interactions. I think things should've happened more with the orphans? Like I think it seemed undecisive on which way to take the main plot. They were just "there." The story also didn't seemed like 3 months more like 3 days. So I didn't feel the relationship development at all. Then at the end I would've liked more interaction between Kali and her sisters.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Love books with this type of setting. I am a sucker for these type of romance stories. Sometimes I just like to escape into this world

I just enjoyed this one so much. The author made me fall in love with the characters and the setting, story line and description details were spot on!

Recommend.

Kali Bane is banished to the MacKays with lies from her father. The first time Adam MacKay, the chieftain's son, meets Kali, she's not anything like the lady described by his father. More and more, Adam sees his father's cruelty escalate against Kali. When his father is involved in a marriage bargain involving Kai and her sister, he knows he must be the one to save her, her sister and his clan. Nothing like a strong woman standing up for herself and those she loves with a strong chieftain by her side. Nice read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Kali Bane despises her father even with his supposed vow in empty words and pretend protection when people actually see them because of his cruelty. When her father demands that Kali wed someone unseen but also her enemy-an Englishman Lord Nelson. Kali adamantly refuses to put even her life at his disposal even at risking her sister’s safety by going into the noose instead. For Kali’s disobedience her own father ships her to Durness to the MacKay’s so they can deal with her. When Kali gets there though, the reception she receives from Laird MacKay’s eldest son, Adam is less than hospitable especially when Kali is stowed away from prying eyes into the highest tower in the keep. When Adam finds out why Kali is in the tower, because the Laird believes that she’s also a witch. Adam doesn’t believe that is so but the longer he gets to know Kali he falls for her and he realizes that she might not be a witch but an enchantress. Kali realizes that she is also falling for Adam to yet must find a way to get back to her sisters to keep them from harm, never realizing that her own father and even Laird MacKay, do have something else up their sleeve.
What a delightfully unique Scottish historical romance that truly enchants too! The story even has a wise old woman who very well could be the witch, some delightful children handsome hunky highlanders and strong women that definitely left me breathless! Sure, I fell for the characters and loved even the minor ones. The book isn’t a tough one to understand, with many plot twists that some did have some resolution but made me wonder about others. I loved the strong feisty heroine Kali who spoke her mind and even put others before her is admirable. While the stoic brash Adam did get on my nerves by not believing in Kali or even helping her when she needs him most. So, the road to true love and even Kali’s supposed betrothed shows up and both of them must find a way to defeat everything which seemed not real but enjoyable reading nonetheless, true love still triumphed. Hopefully, Ms. Violetta Rand will write more about Kali’s sisters and Adam’s family including the soldiers that serve him too.

I liked this one (3 stars is a like in my book). This was a cute and fast historical romance set in the Scottish highlands! I liked the FMC a lot (strong-willed and awesome) and the MMC was alpha goodness. Loved the orphans and wiser older woman characters and this book is a (unfortunately timely) reminder that women who dare to live outside of society’s expectations are called names and branded witches. Definitely feels like a start to a series with 2 more sisters and many more highland hotties in the wings!

An entertaining novella. The story focuses around two main characters who come from very abusive families and the heroine is imprisoned at the hero’s castle. Lots of conflict to resolve for them to get to their HEA

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The Highlander’s Enchantress is the first book in the House Of Bane series by Violetta Rand. This was a solid start to a new series. Kali Bane is sent to the McKay’s for punishment by her horrid father. Laird McKay banishes Kali to a tower. Adam McKay, the heir to clan McKay, knows his tyrannical father needs to be stopped. Romance blossoms, and plans come to fruition as Adam and Kali learn to navigate clan politics and burgeoning love.

I loved the way the relationship between Adam and Kali unfolded. The couple took their time getting to know each other. I enjoyed the orphans and Raini; they were great secondary characters. I did feel the plot started and stopped a lot; it seemed too choppy to me at times. Most of the action happens near the end of the book.

All in all, I enjoyed The Highlander’s Enchantress. I feel a few issues need to be ironed out in the pace and depth of the plot. However, I feel this was an enjoyable beginning to an intriguing new series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book moves at a quicker pace so they fall in love faster than most but I didn't mind that. I love that this is set in historical Scotland. The fathers are pretty villainy but I like that she wasn't afraid to confront her father and that Adam was able to get the support of his people to do what he does.
I can't wait to see what else this series has in store.

Kali Bane refuses to marry the old drunk English lord her cruel father has chosen for her. She would have fled his clutches a long time ago but the need to protect her sisters has kept her there. To punish her he bans her to the McKay clan in the highlands, alerting them that she's a witch.

The old laird of the McKay clan believes the lies her father has told him. He resolves to keep her out of sight from most. She interacts with her maid and Adam McKay, the laird's son. He's very handsome but not enough to make her abandon her thoughts of escape.

The longer she remains imprisoned in the McKay tower, the clearer it becomes that she's falling for Adam. But outside forces are working to destroy their budding relationship and the people they love.

Thank you so much to the author, Entangled publishing and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

The Highlander’s Enchantress showed plenty of promise with its glorious setting, a handsome and gallant highlander and a beautiful but tormented heroine. Love interests Kali Bane and Adam MacKay are likeable and very easy to cheer for. Their story flowed fairly well though I thought the pacing was a bit slow at times. The thing that really irritated me, though, was the dialogue. Designed to give the reader a sense that the protagonists were speaking with a Scottish brogue, it took me out of story again and again with the over-abundent use of “ye” and “me” among other words. I’d have preferred a dash of Gaelic here and there and otherwise normal language. That aside, this was an easy-to-read and mostly enjoyable book.

Book: The Highlander’s Enchantress
Author: Violetta Rand
Series: The House of Bane, Book 1
Publisher: Entangled
Book Length:193 Pages
Release Date: May 29, 2023
Overall Rating: 5/5 Star
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags


Scotland, 16th century

Kali Bane’s brutal and manipulative father had been labeled as a traitor fifteen years ago for betraying the King. She was definitely mortified and humiliated where her black hearted father was lucky the King did not lop his head off and left him any place to live at all! Her father did not just destroy their reputation and everything they owned was taken away, but the King also eliminated their clan to unknown destinations. All due to her fathers greedy selfishness and betrayal to line his own greedy pockets!

Kali is the eldest and has two younger sisters named Ariana and Keara who are the only reason Kali does not escape and run away from her mentally and physically abusive father! She only puts up with her fathers severe brutality to protect her innocent sisters, the only two people she loves in this dark cruel world. This is to also honor her mother’s deathbed promise that Kali would always take care and protect her younger sisters from her fathers wicked and depraved future plans. Now the worst thing has happened because her father wants her to marry an elderly English nobleman and separate Kali from her sweet sisters, due to secret wedding alliances her father plans on setting up for her younger sisters. This Sassenach he wants Kali to marry is an old smelly drunkard of a man, who is also known to thrash his women! Now her father wants to teach her a lesson for refusing a direct order so he sends her to an unstable old MacKay Laird in the Highlands who owes Kali’s father a debt.

Kali arrives in the Highlands with a letter claiming a bunch of lies including that Kali is a demon witch with her red hair which is very unusual for the MacKay clan. Of course she did not receive any warm welcome due to the contents of this letter filled with lies. Plus it is during a very dangerous time that King James is obsessed with witchcraft and going on witch hunts killing many innocent women all over Scotland!
So the insane MacKay Laird claims he is isolating Kali to keep his people safe, he hides her in this tower where she may only walk outside in the evening when his clan is safely in bed. The one person who becomes an ally is this Laird’s son and heir Adam MacKay who becomes smitten with Kali immediately. She also meets a troop of young orphans who opened her heart and an elderly healer and seer named Rani who is also exiled like Kali. Furthermore Rani is also labeled an old mad woman but it is all untrue as she is a kind, honest and intelligent woman who has also suffered at the old Laird’s hand.

The problem for Adam was Kali has no trust of men at all, but the more he gets to know her peeling the layers that lead to her heart the more he falls in love with the real Kali She soon found out Adam was the opposite of what she thought most men were with not just a handsome face but a kind heart too and it was the first man she had feelings for in her entire life. The problem was Adam knew he discovered his perfect true mate, yet Kali was hundreds of miles away from her sisters with her being in the highlands and her sisters in the lowlands. She needed to escape yet a part of her wanted to stay forever plus she was far from danger from her father, the Sassenach and the crazy old Mackay Laird on her tail!

Though Kali did have some allies, including an honorable maid named Heather who is her first female friend who was not one of her sisters. Some thought of a crazy seer and a group of orphan children who also owned her heart! Plus the Lairds' son who wants to keep her forever. Though she knew she had to leave before it was too late. Will she be able to save her sisters from her manipulative father that she knew he had plans for that will only increase his power? So Much to accomplish in so little time. Will Kali be forced to marry an English Lord and suffer a lifetime of unhappiness and physical abuse? Kali knew she would be leaving a big chunk of her heart behind and will always pine for Adam MacKay! Can Adam and Kali ever find a solution to the many problems that are blocking their tender honorable hearts? Read and find out.


This is the first book in the House of Bane series that I definitely could not put down. A breathtaking riveting, emotional, actionpacked tale that will grip readers right from the start and which had me glued to my seat. The hero was definitely the Prince of all men that most women swoon over and dream about! The heroine not only had an outer beauty that no other woman could compare to, but her warm, caring, independent, intelligence in her inner beauty is absolutely soul touching. A magnificent awe-inspiring book that really touched my heart! An absolutely phenomenal book I can't recommend enough.

Disclaimer: I was given an arc copy from Entangled publishers for an honest and fair review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review and blog through NetGalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

This is the first book in a new series the author is also a new one to me. Both are strong characters who were likeable their attraction was rather instant love which I guess is because the book was quite a quick read which did mean there wasn't a great deal of depth to them. A reasonable start which hopefully will lead to longer more in depth novels. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

No! This gets one star because I laughed once.

This book was bad. And that's saying it nicely. Yes, I had the eARC; however, getting it this close to publication, I'd hope the book was fully formed. Did this go through an editor? Or beta readers? Or anyone??? Like the FMC started the book with two sisters and then ended the book with one sister. And no, the sister didn't die. She just disappeared magically.

The first half of the book I thought was okay. I was questioning the plot, especially with it being so short. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't liking it. Then the last half just went downhill pretty fast. Like extremely fast. It made no sense at all, and everything just felt too rushed. I would have loved the author to either focus on the characters or focus on the plot. But what I got was this mishmash of half formed plot and lacking characters that didn't make any sense when combined. Like the girl was supposed to be locked in a tower, and she wasn't never in the tower.

I did laugh really hard one time while reading this, which is why it gets one star instead of zero. But other than the part with the seashell, I cannot recommend this one. The cover is pretty though.